Ensoph – Project X-Katon

I bet these guys are/will be huge in Europe. This disc reminds me of every nameless ‘dark’ band I was exposed to living in Germany. They were all totally forgettable, incorporating all the same elements. You have your electro/EBM bits, your keyboards, your crunching guitars, and male/female vocals. It’s all the same. That said, there’s an audience for this stuff, as evidenced by the glut of similar acts and their relative popularity. That audience just doesn’t include me. I guess this stuff is what would come out if Das Ich, Wumpscut, and Dimmu Borgir were mixed together and heavily watered down. If the German goth rock scene is your thing, this probably will be too. Interestingly, these guys are from Italy, but everything down to their awkward accents reeks of Germanophilia. While Europe has some excellent exports, I can’t wait for this whole gothrockelectrometal to die out and be replaced by something fresh. -Christine Lett